In a new study, researchers found a chemical compound in the shell of the cashew nut promotes the repair of myelin.
Myelin is a protective sheath surrounding nerves. Damage to this covering—demyelination—is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis and related diseases of the central nervous system.
The finding may help develop new therapies to correct the ravages of multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases.
The research was conducted by a team from Vanderbilt University.
Previous work in the team showed that a protein called interleukin 33, or IL-33, induced myelin formation.
IL-33 is, among other things, an immune response regulator, and multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder.
In the study, the cashew shell compound is called anacardic acid. The team grew interested in it because it’s known to inhibit an enzyme involved in gene expression called HAT, and the team had discovered that whatever inhibits HAT induces the production of IL-33.
The report includes a range of new findings that point to the potential use of anacardic acid for treating demyelinating diseases:
In two animal models of demyelination, treatment with the compound increased the relative presence of IL-33 and led to reduced paralysis.
In an animal model of demyelination treated with the compound, dissection and electron microscopy showed dose-dependent increases in myelination.
The team says these are striking results that clearly urge further study of the compound for demyelinating diseases.
One author of the study is Subramaniam Sriram, MBBS.
The study is published in PNAS.
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